Photon and proton radiotherapy utilization in a population of over 100 million commercially insured patients

Publication date: Available online 2 August 2017
Source:International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics
Author(s): Mark R. Waddle, Terence T. Sio, Holly K. Van Houten, Robert L. Foote, Sameer R. Keole, Steven E. Schild, Nadia Laack, Thomas B. Daniels, William Crown, Nilay D. Shah, Robert C. Miller
This is the largest and most geographically diverse description of RT utilization to date. Proton beam utilization remains low and has had little impact on overall utilization compared to IMRT. The utilization rate for pediatric patients remains low and the greatest change in RT use was the increase in IMRT for prostate cancer. Our findings indicate that overall utilization of proton therapy has been low and that its use has likely had little impact on national expenditures on cancer care in the current environment.



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